Full Test: 2008 Chevrolet Malibu LTZ

The sun had left work for the day when the editorial we arrived at airport parking. We had keys, a slot number, and the curiosity that accompanies a first meeting. What to expect?

"Oooh!" In the shadowy gloom, flashing an outsize gold bow tie, crouched a classy hunk of mid-sizer. "This is a Malibu?"

Expectations exceeded! By far. This is smart-looking car flesh, taut of line, confident in its simplicity, bold in its musculature. Grand entrances will come easy in this piece.

It's a start, this chic shape, a reason to look twice. As domestic makers slide in market share, they complain that new-car shoppers don't even look once at Big Three brands. More and more, they're left to compete on money-losing incentives as the "import intenders" drive on by GM, Ford, and Chrysler stores. This past summer, GM tried to force the issue by showcasing a Honda Accord and a Toyota Camry in its Saturn dealerships in a ploy to jump-start sales of its Saturn Aura. Cha-chings were rare, and the scheme was terminated.

Detroit's numbers are going the wrong way: 28.7 percent of buyers trading in domestics bought Asian brands, but only 18.6 percent with Asian trade-ins bought domestic, according to J.D. Power and Associates.

The Malibu looks like the game changer Chevy needs. But it starts with two wheels and three syllables in the ditch, pulled down by a half-century-old model name tainted with memories of every sad-sack Avis rental you ever suffered. Why not a new name to open a new chapter? Redondo would keep the coastal thing going. Nobody hates Marina del Ray. Malibu is so bad old days.

The new car under the besmirched name comes to market with prominent credentials-2007 North American Car of the Year, earned by sister Saturn Aura, GM's second U.S. take on its Euro-origin Epsilon platform (with the Pontiac G6, Opel Vectra, and Saab 9-3). The Malibu, the G6, and the Aura share a 112.3-inch wheelbase and rather narrow width, barely over 70 inches. The Malibu is longest of the three at 191.8 inches, 2.6 inches longer than the Toyota Camry, 2.3 shorter than the newly enlarged Honda Accord.

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For Pricing, Specs, and Reviews of the Chevrolet Malibu, click here for our buyer's guide.